An ‘exhausted’ mother-of-four was in for a shock when she came to the horrifying realization that she has been celebrating her three-year-old son’s birthday on the wrong day for the last two years.
Emily Vondrachek, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, was left mortified when she discovered that she didn’t know her own son’s birthday – a fact that she was only alerted to after her health insurance company flagged that she had used the wrong date.
She explained in a TikTok video that her pediatrician had called to work out a billing problem they were having with the insurance company after a recent check up for her young son Henry.
According to Emily, who has four kids under the age of six, she told the doctors office that her son’s birthday was on February 26, 2018 – but the insurance company had it listed for February 25.
She insisted that the insurance company was wrong, but after going back to an old Facebook post, she realized she was actually the one that was wrong.
An ‘exhausted’ mother-of-four was in for a shock when she realized she’s been celebrating her three-year-old son Henry’s (pictured in 2019) birthday on the wrong day for the last two years
Emily Vondrachek, from Minneapolis, Minnesota, explained in a TikTok video that her pediatrician called to work out a billing problem they were having with the insurance company
Emily told the doctors office that her son’s birthday was February 26 – but the insurance company had it listed for the 25th. Pictured is her birthday post for Henry in 2020
After the confusion over his date of birth, she went back to an old Facebook post and realized that she had been celebrating the tot’s birthday on the incorrect day for two years
‘Here’s a little story to allow all the moms of littles out there to maybe feel a little better about yourselves. Here’s a real confidence boost for you, not for me,’ she began in the clip, which has gone viral – gaining more than three million views in a matter of days.
‘I am his mother, I know his birthday,’ she said. ‘I’m about to call up my insurance company to let them have it and I said, “Maybe I should scroll back on Facebook to look at the birth announcement years ago, to make sure.”‘
To Emily’s surprise, she soon discovered that Henry was indeed born on the 25th. And it turns out, she had been celebrating the tot’s birthday on the incorrect day for two whole years.
She continued: ‘For two years I’ve been celebrating his birthday on the 26th. And now, I have to call my pediatrician back and say, “Ha ha ha, you know what? I had my kid’s birthday wrong.”
She insisted that despite not knowing her own son’s birthday, she ‘loves her kids.’ Henry is pictured with his older brother, Johnny, 5
She joked: I love my kids. They may not have their birthday celebration on the correct day but they celebrated the next.’ Pictured is Henry’s birth announcement in 2018
‘The worst part is, it’s my middle child. I love my kids, OK? I love my kids. They may not have their birthday celebration on the correct day but they celebrated the next.’
She captioned the hilarious video, ‘How’s your day going? #momfail #mombrain #parenting101 #sahm.’
While chatting with Today Parents about the ordeal, Emily said she and the receptionist were both ‘laughing so hard’ when she called the doctors office back to tell them what happened.
Emily, who is also the mom to Johnny, five, Nora, two, and four-month-old Olive, noted that Henry’s due date was the 26th, which is why she might have gotten it wrong.
‘Maybe that’s why I got it wrong. But who knows. I’m exhausted,’ she joked
As for Henry’s upcoming fourth birthday, Emily has plans to make it extra special.
‘Henry wants an Iron Man-Hulk party,’ she explained. ‘He’s specifically requested a red Hulk, not a green Hulk.
‘I have no idea how I’m going to make that happen – but for my middle child I will do anything.’
Emily, who is also the mom to Nora, two, and four-month-old Olive (not pictured), noted that Henry’s due date was the 26th, which is why she might have gotten it wrong
As for Henry’s upcoming fourth birthday, Emily has plans to make it extra special. She said, ‘For my middle child I will do anything’
Many other parents took to the comment section of Emily’s ‘relatable’ TikTok video to share their own stories – and lots admitted that they too have forgotten their kids’ birthdays
It turns out, Emily is not the only one that this has happened to. Many other parents took to the comment section of Emily’s ‘relatable’ TikTok video to share their own stories – and lots admitted that they too have forgotten their kids’ birthdays.
‘I had my middle child’s birth month wrong for over a year,’ one mom wrote. ‘Who knew August was the eight month, not the ninth?’
‘Every time somebody asks for my kid’s date of birth I internally panic,’ another added. ‘So this is relatable.’
‘Had painted a plaque with footprints for February 24, 2009. He was born on the 23rd. I think it must be February,’ someone else joked.
A different user said: ‘I feel like it’s a quiz I didn’t study for every time. And guess what, two [of my kids] even have the same date and I can’t get it right.’
Some kids who were the victims of forgetful parents commented too
One person even admitted that they got their own child’s name wrong once.
‘I got flustered one day when someone said I had a handsome baby boy and asked his name,’ they shared. ‘I said Ron. Her name is Harper. It’s hard out there.’
Some kids who were the victims of forgetful parents commented too, with one writing, ‘One year my mother sang, “Happy birthday to Allison…” My name is Ashley, I’m an only child.
‘My dad has twins. Only twins. He forgot my birthday two years ago. Not my sister’s,’ another person commented. ‘Haven’t let him live that down.’
‘My dad introduced me at a wedding as “Ellen.” My name is Annie. I was 19,’ a different user shared.
Another comment read, ‘This happened to my ex-husband for over 25-years. His mother thought his b-day was different for 25+ years.’